Public Lecture: Mapping the Universe

Within living memory, humans existed in a state of almost total ignorance about the large-scale nature of the universe around us. Our lucky generation has seen this situation changed forever: we now know that stars like the sun are grouped into galaxies, which recede from each other in the expanding universe; we know that galaxies form by the gravitational attraction of Dark Matter, and even that empty space between clumps of matter has weight, causing the cosmic expansion to accelerate. These are facts, rather than the latest in a long line of creation myths, because astronomical technology has allowed us to see clearly the universe on the largest scales. In this lecture, Professor Peacock will present the history of how astronomers have explored the universe of galaxies, and explain the gaps in our understanding that motivate the latest work at the frontiers of research.

John Peacock is Professor of Cosmology and Head of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His research interests are in theoretical and observational cosmology: large-scale structure; galaxy formation and evolution; evolution of active galaxies; gravitational lensing.

Admission is free, but places are limited so please make a reservation by contactingevents@port.ac.uk
023 9284 3757